A semiconductor device is typically packaged as a chip and mounted on a circuit board to mechanically and electrically connect the semiconductor device to the circuit board. This allows the semiconductor device to be electrically coupled to various other devices within a digital data processing system.
One known package type is a surface vertical package ("SVP"), which provides for the edge-mounting of chips to circuit boards. The semiconductor device is packaged in a relatively flat package such that the leads that provide for electrical connections to the semiconductor device are positioned on one edge of the chip. Typically a semiconductor die containing an integrated circuit--which can be a semiconductor memory, processor, or ASIC, for example--resides in the center of a plastic package. Wires within the plastic package connect the semiconductor die with the leads, which reside on one end of the plastic package.
Each lead of the SVP chip is soldered to a respective solder pad on a circuit board to mechanically and electrically connect the semiconductor device to the circuit board. In the prior art, the leads of the SVP chip are bent substantially perpendicular relative to the SVP package so that the SVP chip is placed upright over the circuit board in soldering each lead to its respective solder pad. The SVP chip may have, at its bottom edge, supporting pins to help the SVP chip stand upright in soldering the SVP chip to the circuit board.
One problem with the prior SVP chip is that the electrical connection between the SVP chip and the circuit board is not of sufficiently high quality to handle extremely high frequencies and low voltage swings without electrical degradation.
Another disadvantage of the prior SVP chip is the difficulty in placing a large number of leads on one side of the SVP chip without having shorts between leads when the leads are soldered to the circuit board.
Another disadvantage of the prior SVP chip is that pressure applied to the SVP chip can lead to fractures in the leads, or short circuits, which in turn can lead to a loss of signal and a loss of data.
Another disadvantage of the prior SVP chip is the relative difficulty involved in installing and removing an SVP chip.